Spiny Shell
The Blue Koopa Shell, also known as the Spiny Shell, is an item from the ''Mario Kart'' series and a power-up in New Super Mario Bros.. Its effect and appearance differ in the games. In the Mario Kart series, the shell has wings, and in most games spikes. The blue shell can be shot from second place to twelfth place, regardless of what is in the way, it will home in on the character in first place and cause them to spin out. The only ways to avoid being hit by a Blue Koopa Shell is using a mushroom right as the blue shell begins to slam into the kart, letting the person in second momentarily take first just before it completely homes in, and entering launching parts of a course, such as the barrel from DK Mountain. In New Super Mario Bros. the shell is used to roll around like a normal green or red shell from a Koopa Troopa or Paratroopa when the shell is kicked. This makes it easier for Mario to get rid of enemies. Mario Kart series The Spiny Shell first appeared in Mario Kart 64. When a racer used a Blue Shell, it traveled along the ground and struck any racer ahead of the racer that used the item. The only way to avoid an oncoming blue shell was to veer out of its way at the last second, where it could miss and keep on going. The first place racer cannot avoid the Blue Shell. The item served the same function in Mario Kart: Super Circuit for the Game Boy Advance, although the shell had a darker blue color. When the item was shot in both games, it made a distinct siren sound to alert those ahead that a shell was coming. The Spiny Blue Shell was the rarest of items found in both of those games. Since Mario Kart: Double Dash!!, the item’s use was changed significantly and had wings. When used, the shell will immediately fly to the racer in first place, hover for a few seconds, and make contact with the racer to make a blue explosion similar to that of a Bob-omb. When used in first place, the Blue Shell will fly around the course and target the person in first place, in this case, the one who activated the shell. The affected racer is flung up into the air, losing a few seconds. New Super Mario Bros. In this game, the Blue Koopa Shell is a collectible power-up with a priority higher than the Fire Flower but lower than the Mega Mushroom. It attaches a Blue Shell from a Koopa to the body of Mario or Luigi, and, if they achieve a certain speed, they withdraw into the shell, spinning along the ground, though still able to jump. This method of travel is slightly slower than usual, but makes Mario invincible to most enemies. It does not provide resistance to any other hazards (fire, spikes, being crushed). Upon colliding with a breakable block as a shell on the ground, it breaks; the shell's direction changes at this or any other collision. Another power it has is if Mario ducks he will hide in his shell and no enemies will notice or attack him. es:Caparazón Azul Category:Power-ups Category:Items in Super Mario Kart Category:Items in Mario Kart: Double Dash!! Category:Items in Mario Kart Wii Category:Items in Mario Kart DS Category:Items in Mario Kart 64 Category:Items in Mario Kart: Super Circuit Category:Items in Mario Kart Arcade GP Category:Items in Mario Kart Arcade GP 2 Category:Items in Mario Kart 7 Category:New Super Mario Bros. Items